1. Field of the Invention
The present invention deals with the field of ashtrays for cigars, cigarettes and the like which are especially adaptable for use in motor vehicles such as automobiles. Whenever the driver of a motor vehicle must dispose of a cigar or cigarette, he must momentarily take his eyes off the road. This action has often resulted in vehicle accidents resulting in personal and property injury. In this respect, it is desirable to provide an ashtray device which does not require the operator to snuff the cigar or cigarette but allows the tobacco article to be placed in a location such that the driver may merely close the ashtray and in this operation effectively snuffs and disposes of the article.
Many devices have been designed to achieve this purpose but such devices have proved ineffective. The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the other devices in this field.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Of the many patents granted on cigarette snuffing and disposal devices, the below list is exempliary.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,319,861 filed July 29, 1941; 2,494,979 filed Jan. 17, 1950; 2,888,936 filed June 2, 1959; 2,588,537 filed Mar. 11, 1952; 2,598,175 filed May 27, 1952; 2,626,615 filed Jan. 27, 1953; 2,660,180 filed Nov. 24, 1953; 2,760,497 filed Aug. 28, 1956; 2,777,448 filed Jan. 15, 1957.
Upon review of the above-identified patents, it will be apparent that many types of mechanical movements have been utilized as means in order to achieve the desirable end of snuffing and disposing of cigarette articles without requiring undue attention from the operator of the motor vehicle. As an example, the U.S. Pat. No. 2,760,497 shows a device having several moveable mechanical levers such as 26 which operate in unison to extinguish the cigarette material and then dispose of the remains thereof. This device is quite complicated and difficult to maintain. The present invention is advantageous since only one moveable part, the crusher plate, is designed therein and as such is relatively maintenance free.
The U.S. Pat. No. 2,626,615 shows a device which may be pivotally mounted along the lower edge thereof but which does not include the mechanical leverage and simplicity of the design of the present invention. The present invention requires very little inward pressure due to the leverage between the moveable crusher plate and the cam such that crushing of the cigarette material is facilitated. Also, the use of a retaining means in the form of a magnet provides a device which has virtually an infinite life expectancy and as such further enhances the maintenance advantages of the present invention.
The U.S. Pat. No. 2,588,537 is another example of a detailed configuration which includes several moving parts including the reciprical rod 19, rotating cog 16 and swing plate 14 which may effective in the disposing of cigarette devices but which does require additional maintenance when considered in comparison with the present invention.
Prior art does not show the double action opening and closing operation as shown in the present invention which crushes the cigarette material with the inward movement of the ashtray and releases the cigarette material by the outward movement of the ashtray such that the crushing and disposing operations are performed by such a relatively simple but effective mechanical movement.